Letters to the editor

Respectfully disagrees with article

To the editor:

I must respectfully disagree with the 4/10/23 Tim Bradner’s article that “Most Mat Su residents favor West Susitna Access Road”. His referenced 334 person poll where 60% of respondents had not heard of the proposal is not a slam dunk indication to make that statement. Compare that poll with the 2022 Mat Su Borough West Susitna Access Road Public Engagement Project done by borough contractor Yehle and Associates, LLC. The 4/15/22 Comment and Summary stated that in this project engagement 1,368 public comments were received total on this proposed access including two public meetings with a total 326 attendees, two online surveys for a total of 692 responses plus written comments were taken. Overall, over 60% of respondents were opposed to the road access. Approximately 75% to 80% of the public meeting people were opposed to the road proposal. These were comments from the general public, businesses, tribal entities, project area residents, and owners of developed properties and undeveloped properties in the area. I think this shows that opposition to the road is not just a small group who want to keep the land and waters off limit to everyone. Indeed, the area has a long history of access by boat, snow machine, ATV and aircraft.

Becky Long

Talkeetna

The National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food drive

To the editor:

Saturday, May 13th marks the 31th anniversary of one of America's great days of giving - the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food drive.

Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face to face with a sad reality for

too many, hunger.

So, each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to local food pantries to provide food to people in Alaska who need our help.

Over the course of its 30-year history, the drive has collected well over 1.88 billion pounds of food,

thanks to a postal service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The need for food donations is great. Currently, more than 42 million Americans are unsure where their next meal is coming from. More than twelve million are children who feel hunger's impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. And nearly 5.2 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help.

Our food drive's timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.

Participating in this year's Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave a nonperishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox Saturday, May 13th and your letter carrier will do the rest. With your help, letter carriers and the US Postal Service have collected over 1.88 billion pounds of food in the United States over the 29 years as a national food drive. Please help us in our fight to end hunger, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary year in America's great day of giving.

Sincerely,

Tommy Devros

NALC Br. 4319, President

Support caregivers

To the editor:

Right now, Alaska’s legislators have the opportunity to support legislation that would allow legally responsible adults to be paid caregivers.

I have been a nursing assistant and care provider for 24 years. I have worked with people from birth to hospice. I’ve provided care for children with disabilities, adults with TBI or spinal cord injuries, and just about everything in between. I’ve also cared for my own family.

In 2012, my six-year-old son was diagnosed with a bone marrow failure disease called Aplastic Anemia. In short, he has a rare autoimmune disease where his body stopped making blood, and he was transfusion dependent for nearly a year.

We had only been in Alaska for three months when he got sick. I had a job as a caregiver to support myself and my two kids, but I had to quit because there is no way to maintain employment when you spend weeks at the hospital and emergency room.

Being new to Alaska, we had very little support but weren’t medically allowed to leave the state and return to Oregon, where we had family, because he was so sick. We were constantly driving between Wasilla and Anchorage for medical appointments and were forced to rely on donations for gas and basic necessities. Our lack of income added tremendous stress to our already stressful lives.

It became so difficult to get by and manage our life that I was forced to send my eight-year-old son to live with his grandma in California. Sending my older son away was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, and it significantly impacted my mental well-being.

If I had the opportunity to have an income while caring for him in this traumatic and complex situation, I would have been relieved of the burden of constant worry about how to help him without gas money, how to buy the food he needed to get healthy, and how to care for my older child.

This legislation is crucial for the many struggling unpaid caregivers in our state. These family members deserve to be taken care of while they meet the needs of those who require care. Acting as a caregiver takes a measurable emotional, physical, and financial toll. The need for family caregivers will only continue to increase as the demographic keeps changing and the demand for care increases.

Crystal Howard,

North Pole

Lack of care providers puts an excessive burden on families

To the editor:

Disabilities are the only minority group anyone can become part of at any time. Anyone might experience an accident, illness, genetic difference, or the effects of aging. These people are our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. They’re part of our community. We all have a personal stake in the disability community.

I’m Sarah Krug. I’m an Anchorage resident and care provider. It’s my job and life. I work in a self-contained SPED classroom and as a Direct Care Provider. As a care provider, I physically assist with sensitive tasks, including personal hygiene, therapies, etc.

I’m raising three children on my own. My oldest is 17 years old and has Cerebral Palsy. Zachary uses a power wheelchair to move and an iPad to communicate. My son requires assistance with almost everything just to survive. But, with the help of care providers, he has support to thrive.

The lack of care providers puts an excessive burden on families. I need to support my family, but insufficient care by strangers limits my ability to work enough. Allowing families to be paid care providers creates financial sustainability for my family and keeps Zachary in his home and community.

Care provider jobs require hard work: physically, mentally, and emotionally. They’re low-paid jobs with high turnover rates. But, paid Care providers are essential to the infrastructure of our society.

Covid challenged us to change. Appendix K showed Alaska that it works to allow family members the option to be paid care providers.

Let's make Alaska’s care system work better for everyone. I urge Alaska’s legislators to support legislation that would allow legally responsible adults to be paid caregivers.

We can reduce overall costs of care and increase the quality of life for Alaskans with disabilities.

Sarah Krug,

Anchorage